Over the past year, Carleton staff and students have been debating the changes to the university’s Sexual Violence Policy, but recent events have proven that the policy might only look good on paper.
Staff on campus must be sensitive to the issue of sexual violence as it is happening all across Ontario, including on our very own campus, with a Carleton student recently having gone public after allegedly being sexually assaulted in her dorm room over the summer.
Despite having a medical note, the student said she was unable to receive accommodation for her summer school courses.
Faculty members at Carleton need to understand the importance and severity of a medical note, despite the fact that they do not have—and should not have—access to why the student received the note in the first place.
More training should be in place so professors, teaching assistants, and academic advisors should know how to handle and accommodate medical situations such as sexual violence.
The trauma associated with experiencing a sexual assault and then reporting the incident, on top of the everyday stress that comes with managing school assignments and work, can be a mental breaking point for anyone. University staff have the responsibility to understand this trauma so survivors can better recover and move forward.
Compassion for the survivor’s experience must be at the core of such an accommodation. This lack of support makes it harder for survivors to recover and return to their academics. Students are paying for an education, but they cannot learn if they do not feel safe.
